This dissertation is concerned with investigating robust approaches for the control of pneumatic muscle systems. Pneumatic muscle is a novel type of actuator. Besides having a high ratio of power to weight and flexible control of movement, it also...
Existing treatment programs and procedures are incapable of addressing the complications encountered with patients who experience spasticity and hypertonia related joint contractures. Current passive therapy procedures and devices are only capable...
Wheel Slide Protection Systems (WSP Systems) or Anti-Skid Devices for rail vehicles have to go through a series of Dynamometer tests before test runs with equipped rail vehicles are permitted. The simulation tests are performed on Wheel Slide...
Background: Emerging circulatory support devices that operate in counterpulsation to the native heart require synchronized timing of device ejection and filling on a beat-to-beat basis with the native heart using a patient's ECG. Surface leads are...
Wheelchairs--Design and construction; Dogs--Equipment and supplies; Dogs--Health; Veterinary physical therapy
Hind limb paralysis may occur in dogs for a variety of neurological or musculoskeletal reasons. For dogs with limited mobility their lack of ability to ambulate can have a great impact on their physical and mental health. Canine wheelchairs can...
Falls (Accidents); Children's accidents; Children--Wounds and injuries; Child abuse--Investigation
Pediatric short-distance falls, especially from beds or other furniture, are common
false histories given by caretakers to cover up abusive trauma. However, short-distance
falls are also a common occurrence in young children. Knowledge of the types...
The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the Innovative Treatment Remediation Demonstration Program (ITRD) made technology recommendations after reviewing thirty in situ remediation technologies for implementation at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion...
Responding to research gaps in both cycling and women's rights history, the purpose of my thesis is to investigate conceptualizations of cycling in the 1890's suffrage press. I analyze six aspects of cycling in suffrage periodicals: advice and tips...
The thesis focuses on improving the flowrate of the Knudsen gas pump. The Knudsen pump uses thermal transpiration as the driving mechanism to pump gas. It is a motionless gas pump as the pump does not require any moving actuators for pumping. The...
Dermal wounds, including bed sores, pressure ulcers, and diabetic ulcers have a large impact on American healthcare costing up to $7 billion per year. Adequate pharmaceutical remedies applied at constant rate could prove to increase the healing...
Cortical and tectal inputs to the caudal LPN in the rat were examined using anatomical and physiological techniques. Pyramidal cells in layer 6 of the visual cortex and wide-field vertical cells in the stratum opticum of the superior colliculus...
Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are the two leading causes of blindness in the world today. Despite enormous efforts and advances in clinical treatment of eye diseases, there is no established method or cure of...
Mixing machinery; Production engineering--Case studies
A processing facility in Trenton, Ky owned by HydroSolutions is in need of modernization in order to increase efficiency in the mixing process, improve the safety of the facility, and give the facility the ability to expand in the future. The main...
Planar fiber-optic chips (FOC) take advantage of the evanescent field effects of side-polished fibers, exhibiting usefulness in fluorescence, absorbance, electrochemical investigations, and as presented here Raman spectroscopy. The fabrication of...
Cardiology--Research--Methodology; Microfluidics--Equipment and supplies
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and accounts for nearly 1,372,000 deaths each year. In addition, ~81 million Americans suffer from some form of CVD. Understanding the molecular basis of various...
Aortic Valve Bypass surgery has found renewed interest to researchers due to its application in high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. This therapy consists of construction of a conduit containing a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve from...
Spirituality in literature; Religion in literature; Berry, Wendell, 1934---Criticism and interpretation; McCarthy, Cormac, 1933---Criticism and interpretation
This dissertation provides a reading of characters in the novels and short stories of two important contemporary American writers through the lens of spiritual theology. While spirituality has often been understood as necessitating a flight from...
Spinal cord--Wounds and injuries--Complications; Respiratory organs
Pulmonary complications associated with persistent respiratory muscle weakness and paralyses are critical problems faced by patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the role of neurological...
Sleep apnea syndromes; Overweight persons--Health and hygiene; Obesity
Overweight and obesity is a major contributing factor in an estimated 70% of all obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) cases. Approximately five percent of the adult population has OSA, and the numbers continue to soar with the rising prevalence of...
An investigation was made into the relative costs of excavation retention by two systems: conventional soldier pile-wale-tieback support, and support by soil nailing. The investigation included design of excavation supports by the two...
